Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.4
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
In the second quarter of 2019 EU gas production was approximately 26.8 bcm, 7 percent (2.1 bcm) less than in the same period of 2018, Trend reports citing the European Commission.
During the whole Q2 2019 gas output was below the 2014-2018 range, reinforcing the decreasing trend of domestic production in the EU.
In the Netherlands natural gas production decreased by 12 percent (1.1 bcm) and in the UK it decreased by 6 percent (0.6 bcm) in Q2 2019 in year-on-year comparison.
Looking at the following six largest producers, gas output increased in Germany (8 percent, 0.1 bcm), in Denmark (7 percent, 0.1 bcm) and in Poland (4 percent, 0.05 bcm) but decreased in Ireland (-24 percent, 0.2 bcm), Italy (- 11 percent, 0.2 bcm), and Romania (-2 percent, 0.1 bcm). The non-EU member Norway produced 29.2 bcm gas in Q2 2019, slightly increasing (by 0.4 bcm) compared to Q2 2018.
In the first half of 2019 natural gas production in the EU amounted to 57.5 bcm, which was by 7.6 percent less than in the first half of 2018, implying a decline in production of 4.7 bcm. The two biggest EU gas producers were the UK (19.8 bcm) and the Netherlands (18.7 bcm).
Following an earthquake of magnitude 3.4 in the vicinity of the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands taking place on 22 May 2019, the State Supervision of Mines authority proposed to cut the field's gas production cap to 12 bcm for the 2019 gas year (the period from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020).
This is 4 bcm less than the Dutch government's original proposal. Later an announcement from the government evolved , according to which the regular production from the Groningen field can drop to zero by mid-2022, eight years before than the earlier target of 2030. Operation would completely stop only in 2026, as during exceptionally cold winters some withdrawals might be needed from this field.
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